At this stage it is hard to assess reports that suggest there was violence in Lhasa and other Tibetan cities. The ABC reports that there were nonviolent demonstrations by monks, and then angrier and violent demonstrations by others.(more…)

John Quiggin has suggested that the problems facing the Democratic Party arise from institutional design, that each of the 50 states have their own ballot rules. I did suggest in comments that design because it allowed experimentation was part of the attraction of the federal system. The caucus experiment seems to have taken hold and spread to the stage where Texas had both a primary vote and caucus vote to determine the allocation of delegates.(more…)

Todd Domke at The Boston Globe has a several suggestions as to who would make an ideal running mate for McCain. The criteria seem fine as far they go, but surely the idea would be for one candidate to optimal. There has to be trade offs, which opens the field to other candidates not mentioned. Job selection what an interesting field and how relevant to the roles of President and Vice President (post Cheney)?(more…)

Admiral Fallon took over Central Command, one year ago and now he suddenly retires. Central Command is the control structure for the American forces in the Middle East, including Iran and Afghanistan. The New York Times attributes his early retirement to his public statements that appear to put him at odds with the Administration, particularly I would have thought in regard to the aerial bombardment of Iran, and by implication murder of Iranian civilians. If the development of nuclear weapons was of itself an act of war and violation of international law, there could be no more guilty country than the United States of America.(more…)

The problem in commenting on the recent events in Palestine is the trap of endorsing one side or the other in their acts of inhumanity. This point is made clearly by a report in The Sydney Morning Herald last Saturday:

One of the oldest and most prestigious of Israel’s many seminaries, Mercaz Harav predates Israel itself. Founded in 1925 by Rabbi Avraham Kook, perhaps the 20th century’s most revered Jewish theologian, the school has produced a stream of prominent religious, political and military leaders. It was at the forefront in supporting Jewish settlements.(more…)

Malaysia a neighbour and a political federation consisting of the southern portion of the Malay Peninsular and the northern portion of Borneo, excepting respectively Singapore and Brunei, has an affinity with Australia and New Zealand. Of course, I would like to think that friendship affinity group would be stronger and wider if we the historical products of the European outremer had declared ourselves to be republics, repudiating imperialism. In that instance the politics of ethnicity won over the politics of geography.(more…)

Here is an opportunity that is not so much a corroberee of the chattering classes but more a breakdance of the bloggers. Now you do not need to be sidelined, it is possible for many more people to participate via a new wiki site: Oz Ideas: Australia 2020 Summit.

To inspire you to flex your mental muscles, check out the promotional video:

This way it will be possible to be just as energetic, creative, and innovative – and save on travel expenses.(more…)

Clinton’s path to the nomination… involves the following steps: kneecap an eloquent, inspiring, reform-minded young leader who happens to be the first serious African American presidential candidate (meanwhile cementing her own reputation for Nixonian ruthlessness) and then win a contested convention by persuading party elites to override the results at the polls…. I don’t think she’d be in a position to defeat Hitler’s dog in November, let alone a popular war hero…. Clinton’s kamikaze mission is likely to be unusually damaging…. Pennsylvania is a swing state that Democrats will almost certainly need to win in November, and Clinton will spend seven weeks and millions of dollars there making the case that Obama is unfit to set foot in the White House. You couldn’t create a more damaging scenario if you tried…

Sasha has been especially being enjoying her walks lately since she has been given time off the lead and able to follow her desires. She has always been enthusiastic when I start to get ready. She reads the signs. Dexter is kept on the lead – he does not appear to mind. (more…)

ABC Local News carried the story that two local Illawarra members of Federal Parliament will be holding a mini-summit at Wollongong University. The mini-summit will reflect the National 2020 Summit with the same topic areas. If it is not been done elsewhere, it obviously can be done.(more…)

You will not have noticed, since I have not yet called for it, that the time is right following the use of executive power to sack the Wollongong City Council for a democratic insurgency. This there would be action not apathy, movement not inaction. The next stage in the process, since the facts are clear enough, and if not known accessible, is for a mass demonstration.(more…)

Clinton wins Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island, and Obama wins Vermont. McCain is now the Republican candidate. It is doubtful whether McCain could defeat either Clinton or Obama on his merits, while it is possible that an increasingly, crass and acrimonious contest between Clinton and Obama may effectively destroy each their prospect of defeating McCain. As the support for Clinton and Obama is polarized the risk increases that the supporters of each candidate will not turn out in the presidential election for whoever becomes the Democratic Party’s candidate.(more…)

The Los Angeles Times has a story of a young man who was a gifted footballer with his life before him, and then he was killed by gunfire. Meanwhile, his mother, an Army Sergeant, was on her second tour of duty in Iraq.

There are many sad stories, doubtless not least in Iraq. The oil is running out anyway. Would it not be better if the Americans focused on solving the problem of random violence in their own neighbourhoods, rather than helping to fuel ongoing conflict in Iraq and Palestine?

ABC News Online reports that following the finding in from The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that has been holding hearings into bribes paid in relation to property developments, the Governor of NSW announced by proclamation today that Wollongong City Council had been sacked. Then the Minister for Local Government in the NSW Government made it clear that a new council would not be reappointed following scheduled elections in September. The Minister argued it will take time to eradicate systematic corruption, and therefore the affairs of the Council will be placed under an Administration Panel for the next four years.(more…)

In a article in Haaretz, Bradley Burston describes nonviolence as the doomsday weapon. At first sight this seems somewhat paradoxical, but if I remember correctly doomsday might be translated from the original Anglo-Saxon as judgment day. One does not normally think of nonviolence as a weapon, since it is not about fighting or killing but rather awakening other human being to the interconnectedness of human life so that to damage another is understood and perceived to damage oneself. This view is consistent with that postulated by the writers of the ancient Hindu literature.(more…)

It is somewhat alarmist, fellow passengers, but this might be the hour to think about the possibility. If climate change, or global warming is accepted, the key questions are: What are the time frames? Thus by implication: What are the priorities?(more…)

Previously, I commented that I did not intuitively or easily see the connection between seeking truth and the pursuit of nonviolence. This is the connection that Gandhi made, in part arising from his direct experience of confronting violence, from Hindu thought and perhaps other sources. For example, his mother who was a major influence, had been influenced by Jainism.(more…)